North Korea Closes Embassies, Cites Routine Diplomatic Changes

North Korea addressed recent embassy closures on Friday, characterizing them as routine adjustments.

The closure is aimed at enhancing external relations, countering claims by Seoul that these actions signalled the country's dire economic challenges. Over the past week, Pyongyang shuttered its embassies in African allies Angola and Uganda, along with closing diplomatic missions in Hong Kong and Spain, as reported by state media and local authorities. Seoul had expressed the view that these closures shed light on North Korea's severe economic circumstances, where maintaining even minimal diplomatic relations with traditional allies had become challenging. However, an unnamed spokesperson from Pyongyang's foreign ministry refuted these assertions, stating that these changes were "part of regular affairs... to promote their national interests in external relations." These remarks were posted on the ministry's website on Friday. The spokesperson clarified that these adjustments were aligned with shifts in the international environment and the country's external policies. The statement did not specify which embassies were being opened or closed. The spokesperson emphasized that similar measures had been taken on several occasions in the past. North Korea maintains diplomatic ties with over 150 countries, according to South Korea's Unification Ministry. However, the number of its overseas missions has been decreasing since the 1990s due to financial constraints. Experts noted that the last time North Korea scaled down its diplomatic missions on this scale was in the mid-to-late 1990s when the country grappled with a severe famine, leading to the loss of hundreds of thousands, with some estimates suggesting figures in the millions. The closures of diplomatic missions in the present context raise questions about North Korea's diplomatic priorities and its ability to navigate its economic challenges.